Persons undergoing intensive medical treatment may be required to have repeated injections of drugs or multiple drawing of blood samples. To ease patient discomfort associated with repeated needle sticks, the patient may elect to have a port or portacath (a portmanteau of “portal” and “catheter”) surgically implanted beneath the skin. Various types of portacaths are available and go by various names, such Port-a-Cath, Microport, Bardport, PowerPort (power injectable), Passport, Infuse-a-Port, Medi-Port, and Lifesite (for hemodialysis patients). Another commonly used term is totally implantable venous access system (TIVAS). Additionally, portacaths are a form of a “central venous access device” and are frequently referred to as such in the medical field.
The port has a septum through which drugs can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times. The port consists of a reservoir compartment (the portal) that has a silicone bubble (the septum) for needle insertion and a catheter or an attached plastic tube. The device is surgically inserted under the skin in the upper chest or in the arm, and appears as a bump under the skin. It requires no special maintenance and is completely internal, so swimming and bathing are not a problem. The catheter runs from the portal and is surgically inserted into a vein, usually the jugular vein, subclavian vein, or superior vena cava. Ideally, the catheter terminates in the superior vena cava, just upstream of the right atrium. This position allows infused agents to be spread throughout the body quickly and efficiently.
The septum is made out of a special self-sealing silicone rubber and can be punctured hundreds of times before it weakens significantly. To administer treatment or to withdraw blood, the port is located and the area is disinfected. The port is then accessed by puncturing the overlaying skin with a needle. When the port is no longer needed, the port can be removed through a surgical operation.
Ports have many different uses, such as total parenteral nutrition, delivery of chemotherapy, delivery of coagulation factors, the withdrawing of blood from patients requiring frequent blood tests, delivery of antibiotics, and the delivery of various medications.
Since the port is surgically implanted under the skin, there is a risk that the persons having such a port may damage it during the course of daily physical activities, especially for sports activities and the like. During such physical activities, people who have a port sometimes experience pain when physical contact is made with their port. Persons with a port are at a risk of rupturing the structural sutures that hold the port in place. It is also possible that the catheter may be ruptured or torn loose.
In the past, the only option for persons with a port was to have a specially made device for the protection of the port. As an example, pediatric chest guards are designed for children who have had surgery in the thoracic region or who have a port placed in their upper chest wall. The first step in making the pediatric chest guard involves taking individual measurements and creating a pattern. Splinting materials are molded to the patient's chest and back so that the end product contours to the patient's body and allows the upper extremities freedom of movement. An anterior chest piece and a posterior back piece are held in place using riveted straps made from stockinette and velcro strips. The chest guard allows children to safely return to their normal daily activities such as participation in gym classes, playing with friends, or engaging in extracurricular sports. Another option is to modify pads and belts designed for other sports, such as football, and sew a pocket onto a shirt at the location of the port. Usually the shirt would be slightly smaller than normal so that it fits snugly and does not shift. The pad is then inserted into the pocket to protect the port location.
Also available as a form of protection is a series of products for protecting the heart from impact during sports. These so-called “heart guards” protect persons from getting hurt by getting hit in the chest, for example, with a baseball, which could adversely effect the heart. Heart guards are intended to be located in the center of the wearer's chest and thus lack the ability to protect a port from damage since the port may be located in any of a number of different areas and varies depending on the patient.
For these reasons, it would be advantageous to have a protective device for a port that is shaped and sized to protect the port location from injury and is capable of being located at any position along the chest or upper arms of a user.